Commercial Pest Control recruiters serving Houston.
At a $37,200 median, pest control workers in Houston earn 18% less than nationally; about 2,170 work in the metro. BLS counts 307 business locations of pest control companies across the metro. Below: local pay for every role we staff, the state licensing rules that apply and the nearby markets competing for the same people.
Positions we recruit for in Houston.
BLS counts about 2,170 pest control workers in the Houston metro. Relative to the size of the local economy, pest control workers are about as concentrated here as nationally (location quotient 1.00). Local headcount and pay for each role are below; role descriptions are on the Commercial Pest Control hub.
Commercial Pest Control Technician
Houston: 2,170 employed · $37,200 median, 103rd-highest of 109 metros
Licensed Pest Control Applicator
Termite / WDI Inspector
Fumigation Technician
Commercial Account Manager
Houston: 28,720 employed · $63,090 median, 48th-highest of 111 metros
Pest Control Branch / Route Manager
Houston: 7,840 employed · $105,420 median, 47th-highest of 112 metros
Pest Control Service Manager
Houston: 97,320 employed · $119,600 median, 20th-highest of 112 metros
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Specialist
Bird / Wildlife Exclusion Technician
Pest Control Sales / Business Development Rep
Houston: 25,630 employed · $73,030 median, 39th-highest of 112 metros
What Commercial Pest Control roles earn in Houston.
Pest control workers in Houston earn a median $37,200, 18% under the $45,250 national figure, and 103rd of 109 metros. Pay runs $29,840 at the tenth percentile to $60,050 at the ninetieth.
| Role | Houston median | Typical range | National median | vs. national | Employed locally |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pest Control Technician · Licensed Pest Control Applicator · Termite / WDI InspectorPest Control Workers (37-2021) | $37,200 | $29,840–$60,050 | $45,250 | −18% | 2,170 |
| Commercial Account ManagerSales Representatives of Services (41-3091) | $63,090 | $33,190–$130,960 | $69,990 | −10% | 28,720 |
| Pest Control Branch / Route ManagerTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (11-3071) | $105,420 | $65,060–$182,680 | $107,230 | −2% | 7,840 |
| Pest Control Service ManagerGeneral and Operations Managers (11-1021) | $119,600 | $50,490–$296,070 | $105,770 | +13% | 97,320 |
| Pest Control Sales / Business Development RepSales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing (41-4012) | $73,030 | $37,090–$137,970 | $72,080 | +1% | 25,630 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Houston metro. Range is 10th to 90th percentile; management and office roles are metro-wide. A metro ranking counts only the metros where BLS publishes that occupation.
How Houston's commercial pest control market has changed since 2018.
The number of pest control companies in Houston rose from 270 in 2018 to 307 in 2023, up 14%, close to the 16% national change.
| Measure | 2018 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pest control companies: business locations | 270 | 307 | +14% |
| Pest control companies: employment | – | 2,895 | – |
| Pest control companies: average annual pay | – | $54,711 | – |
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private employers, annual averages. A dash means BLS did not publish the figure.
Free Commercial Pest Control hiring resources.
Definitive Guide to Commercial Pest Control · 2026 Commercial Pest Control Salary Guide · 3-Step Interview Guide for Commercial Pest Control
Houston sits at about the national rate for commercial pest control — neither unusually deep nor unusually thin.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Pest Control Workers. Metro-wide figures for the base occupation; the wage table above is role-specific and commercial.
How Houston's commercial pest control market compares
Among the 98 metros we cover with published BLS figures, Houston ranks 6th for headcount, 95th for median pay and 47th for concentration for pest control workers. Pay here is among the lowest we see, which makes relocation offers from higher-paying metros a real retention risk.
| Metro | Employed | Median pay | Concentration | Commercial employers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 2,870 | $38,330 | 1.07 | 400 |
| Houston | 2,170 | $37,200 | 1.00 | 307 |
| Austin | 1,100 | $43,600 | 1.29 | 128 |
| San Antonio | 730 | $37,410 | 0.99 | 122 |
| El Paso | 130 | $30,330 | 0.56 | 32 |
| McAllen | 80 | $36,060 | 0.42 | 22 |
BLS OEWS occupation figures and QCEW business-location counts; a dash means not published.
What this means for hiring:For commercial pest control employers in Houston, the pool is about the national norm for its size and local employers are adding people, so expect competing offers on experienced candidates and keep the process short.
Sources: BLS QCEW 2023 annual averages and BLS OEWS May 2025, Houston metro. Employers are counted by business location.
Commercial Pest Control licensing in Texas.
Pest control companies need a business license and certified applicators, who must pass the General Standards exam and a category exam (such as Pest or Termite) and complete yearly CEUs. New technicians start as apprentices with required classroom and on-the-job training, then become licensed technicians who meet in person with their supervising certified applicator once a week and complete 8 training hours a year. The same state rules apply in Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, McAllen and El Paso, so candidates licensed there can work in Houston without re-qualifying.
Licensing authority: Texas Department of Agriculture, Structural Pest Control Service. Confirm current rules with the agency.
We have not closed a commercial pest control search in Houston yet. Here is what we have closed.
These are other trades in the same market. We would rather show you the searches we have actually run in Houston than imply a record in this trade that we do not have yet.
- Commercial HVAC Service TechnicianFive to ten years of commercial HVAC experience, EPA 608, and independent troubleshooting - filled in two weeks.
- Commercial HVAC TechnicianA lead technician who can also train the rest of the bench.
- Commercial HVAC TechnicianThe second of two technician seats on the same requisition, filled in the same window as the first.
Nearby markets competing for Houston talent.
The closest metro we cover is Austin, about 145 miles away, with roughly 1,100 pest control workers (0.5 times Houston's 2,170). Baton Rouge pays the most nearby, a $46,880 median, 26% above Houston. That is the number any Houston offer is competing with when experienced people weigh a move.
| Metro | Distance | Employed | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Houston | – | 2,170 | $37,200 |
| Austin | 147 mi | 1,100 | $43,600 |
| San Antonio | 190 mi | 730 | $37,410 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 225 mi | 2,870 | $38,330 |
| Baton Rouge | 254 mi | 390 | $46,880 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025; straight-line miles.
What else is competing for Houston crews.
Not commercial pest control work. These are the capital projects big enough to pull the same crews into Houston in the months you are trying to fill a seat, each with the status its own market page reports.
- Texas Medical Center expansion (TMC3, MD Anderson, Memorial Hermann)$5B+ aggregated2024-2030
Largest medical complex in the world keeps expanding. Hospital-grade mechanical, isolation HVAC, OR work. Mechanical PMs with healthcare experience in extreme demand.
- ExxonMobil Baytown chemical complex expansion~$2B2024-2026
Process mechanical, instrumentation, refinery-grade trades. Wages running 15-25% above standard commercial.
- Port Houston Bayport Container Terminal expansion$1B+2024-2027
Heavy civil, paving, large-scale mechanical. Crane operators and heavy electricians in tight supply.
Showing 3 of 5 projects tracked in this metro. The Houston market page lists them all.
What credentials matter for commercial pest control, and what kills offers in Houston.
The 2 credentials that gate the work and the 3 things that most often end a commercial pest control offer are the same in every market, kept in one place: Commercial Pest Control credentials and offer risks, each linked to the body that issues it. What is local is the licensing rule above and the pay further up this page.
Frequently asked - Commercial Pest Control hiring in Houston.
What do pest control workers earn in Houston?
BLS puts the Houston median for pest control workers at $37,200 a year, 18% below the $45,250 national median. That ranks 103rd of 109 metros with published figures, in the bottom quarter. Most of the market sits between $29,840 and $60,050, a 2.0x gap and a moderate spread, so a few thousand dollars over the median buys real experience. Within Texas, Austin pays more, at $43,600.
Is it hard to hire pest control workers in Houston?
It is about average. Pest control workers are as common in Houston as they are nationally (location quotient 1.00), with about 2,170 in the metro. The 307 pest control companies here average about 9.4 employees per location. With 14% more of those firms than in 2018, more employers are competing for the same crews.
Which commercial pest control roles pay the most in Houston?
Of the roles we recruit for, Pest Control Service Manager pays the most in Houston, a $119,600 median (BLS measures that occupation across all industries in the metro). Among field roles the top earner is Commercial Pest Control Technician at $37,200, 69% below it. Relative to national pay, Pest Control Service Manager is the strongest-paying role here (13% above). Commercial Pest Control Technician trails national pay the most (18% below).
How many pest control companies operate in Houston?
BLS counted 307 pest control companies in Houston in 2023, employing about 2,895 people between them. Up from 270 in 2018, a 14% increase against 16% growth nationally. That averages 9.4 people per location. They pay about the national average of $54,678.
Which nearby metros compete with Houston for pest control workers?
The closest metros we cover with published figures are Austin (147 miles, about 1,100, $43,600 median), San Antonio (190 miles, about 730, $37,410 median) and Dallas-Fort Worth (225 miles, about 2,870, $38,330 median). Austin pays 17% more, which is where Houston employers tend to lose people.
The seat is open. The pipeline should not be.
307 pest control companies in Houston are drawing on the same 2,170 pest control workers. Let's get your next hire lined up first.
Schedule a Discovery Call →